Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:16pm on 21 May 2025,Wednesday International
Four British ex-special forces soldiers, including UK minister Alastair Carns, set a record by summiting Mount Everest in under five days without acclimatising on the mountain. Using hypoxic tents and xenon gas to pre-acclimatise, they bypassed the traditional six-week climb. While organisers tout this as a safer, faster, and lower-impact method, the use of xenon is controversial, with experts warning of insufficient scientific backing. Nepalese officials expressed concern over certification, and mountaineering bodies caution against shortcuts. The climb could mark a shift in Everest expeditions, raising ethical, safety, and environmental questions within the global climbing community. (PC: Reuters)
